Conjunction Update:FCT/Flight Controller Team has been tracking a new conjunction with Object #30353 (Fengyun 1C Debris). TCA (Time of Closest Approach): 11/06 (Sunday), 6:31 PM GMT. The object's miss distance has remained outside of the notification box for the past few updates. The PC (Probability of Collision) is now valid (meeting all criteria) and well below any action threshold. No action is necessary by the FCT or the crew.

Preparatory to the scheduled installation of a jumper cable for the SPDA (Secondary Power Distribution Assembly) at LA1B, CDR Mike Fossum powered down all equipment connected to the Lab UOP-6 (Utility Outlet Panel-6). This affected SSC-12 (Station Support Computer-12) and SSC-18 laptops plus the dual Li-Ion (Lithium-Ion) battery charger.

Afterwards, Mike had 2h set aside for an IFM (Inflight Maintenance) of installing the Lab SPDA jumper and Node 1 Y-jumper to power the SPDA using Lab Payload Rack power (at Port 1). [The Lab SPDA jumper consists of two jumpers mated together with the connection taped over due to grounding concerns. One end was to be mated to the LA1B SPDA located in the Fwd Stbd Endcone, the other end to the Node 1 Y-jumper. One end of the 'Y' of the latter was then to be mated to the J1 connection at P1, the second end was capped. The IFM required safing steps, rotating the MELFI-3 (Minus Eighty Laboratory Freezer for ISS-3) rack at Starboard 1 down for access after demating its umbilicals, removing the shear panel in front of the SPDA at LA1B (38 fasteners), then installing the jumpers and reversing the activities (without re-attaching the shear panel). The temporarily deactivated Lab UOP-6 was powered up later in the day, and ground teams then were to recover the powered-down UOP-6 loads.]

KURS-P Test:Also this morning, Russian ground controllers conducted a test of the KURS-P automated docking system via Regul VHF and RGS (Russian Ground Sites) using the Approach Test Program (CSB) to check out the recent (11/03) switch of the KURS antenna feeder cables to the SM +Y-side (MRM-2) for next week's Soyuz TMA-22/28S docking (11/16).

FE-5 Satoshi Furukawa printed out new SODF (Station Operations Data File) procedures for temporarily updating the 3 onboard Warning Books (Lab, SM, FGB). [These updates refer to the possible event of an EPS (Electrical Power System) bus failure for the time during which the new SPDA (Secondary Power Distribution Assembly) jumpers are installed. The jumper installation, done yesterday by Mike, was in response to observed MBSU-1 (Main Bus Switching Unit-1) firmware degradation, moving all Lab B1 DDCU (DC-to-DC Converter Unit) loads to a different power feed, to protect against the hardware becoming unpowered in case of an MBSU failure due to the old firmware.]

RS Propellant Transfer:After yesterday's prop transfer from the Progress M-13M/45P cargo ship to the SM BG1 & BO1 tanks (ended 10:32 AM GMT), another transfer of oxidizer (N2O4 or NTO, nitrogen tetroxide) to SM tank BO2 will begin tomorrow at ~3:27 AM GMT, with BITS2-12 onboard realtime telemetry system and VD-SU mode off. [When VD-SU mode is deactivated and BITS is powered down, affected equipment must be turned off to avoid operation in the absence of real-time telemetry. The most notable impacts are:1. Elektron oxygen generation system (shutdown by crew or ground),2. SKV air conditioning system (shutdown by crew or ground).3. Vozdukh carbon dioxide removal unit (no telemetry if in automatic mode, no impact if in manual mode).4. BMP micropurification unit (automatically shutdown).5. SRV-K condensate water processor (can be shut down by crew or ground, usually not required).6. BRI data conversion unit (smart router) is power cycled when VD-SU mode is cycled. After VD-SU activation, the crew may execute a test to assess the impact of VD-SU mode cycling on the BRI,7. No dP/dt (pressure change) detection in RS (Russian Segment) due to the lack of telemetry,8. Fire & smoke alarms (audio only) will annunciate onboard in the SM through the C&W panel (PSS) speaker,9. Total pressure alarms (audio only) will annunciate onboard in the SM through the C&W panel (PSS) speaker.]

HOUSTON -- Two NASA astronauts soon will be aboard the InternationalSpace Station and available for regularly scheduled interviewopportunities with accredited news media.

Daniel Burbank, a veteran of two space shuttle missions to assemblethe station, will launch with Russian crewmates on a Soyuz spacecraftfrom Kazakhstan on Sunday, Nov. 13. Arriving at the complex on Nov.16 for a four-month mission, Burbank will command the Expedition 30crew through mid-March.

Donald Pettit will join Burbank in late December when he launches fromKazakhstan with Russian and European crewmates in another Soyuzspacecraft. Pettit will remain on the station for five months,returning to Earth in mid-May after serving as part of the Expedition30 and 31 crews. He is a veteran of a long-duration mission on thestation as part of the Expedition 6 crew in 2002 and 2003, as well asa subsequent space shuttle mission to assemble the station.

Because of the nature of human spaceflight activities, news media mustremain flexible to accommodate scheduling changes in interview timesand dates. These opportunities are scheduled in the crew members'timeline each week, generally in the morning between 8 a.m. and noonCST.

In-flight interviews are broadcast on NASA Television and streamed onthe agency's website. News media must have two dedicated telephonelines available and be able to receive NASA TV via NASA's LIMOChannel to communicate with and view the astronauts.

High Solar Beta Angle:The solar Beta angle is currently at about -66 degrees. It peaks at -69 deg on 11/12. During this time, external hardware on the starboard side of the ISS is experiencing extremely high temperatures while the hardware on the port, zenith and nadir sides can see cold extremes. Steps have been taken to protect the involved systems.

Soyuz TMA-22/28S Launch Preparations:At the Baikonur/Kazakhstan launch site preparations continue for the launch of the Soyuz TMA-22 spacecraft with the Expedition 30 crew to the ISS. In the LV Integration & Checkout Facility, the basic integration of the Soyuz-FG launch vehicle with the upper composite has been completed.

Phobos-Grunt Visibility:The ISS crew was notified of viewing/photographing opportunities for the stranded Phobos-Grunt Mars probe from the DC-1 VL-1 and MRM-2 windows as it crossed the ISS trajectory this morning at 4:06:16 AM GMT and 4:52 AM GMT.